Donna Marie Campbell, 95 of Cheyenne Wells, Colorado passed away peacefully on June 13, 2025, at Cheyenne Manor.  She was born November 27, 1929 on the family farm four miles south of Arapahoe, Colorado. Donna was the ninth of ten children born to Charles and Anna Borovicka Hanavan.

Raised in a large family, she endured the Great Depression, the “dust bowl days” in the 30’s and WWII. She remembered the dirt storms being so bad they would block out the sun and turn the sky to darkness. Her parents raised chickens and had milk cows and sold eggs and milk to buy groceries for their family. She recalled gathering around a radio during WWII, eager for news about the war. At that time, she had four brothers in the service. After the war, she related that one brother bought her and the younger children in the family new school shoes and another bought them candy bars—and they didn’t have to share with anyone!

Donna graduated Salutatorian at Arapahoe School in 1947 and went to work for the Howard’s at the small grocery store in Arapahoe. She told her children she cut an article out of the Denver Post about Robert H. Campbell (Bob). He had received the Bronze Star for Bravery in Saipan. She didn’t know Bob, but was happy that his parents had moved to Arapahoe during the war and that his address was listed as Arapahoe, Colorado. Bob was wounded in Iwo Jima and after recovering from those wounds, he moved to Arapahoe to farm with his parents. He began to frequent the grocery store where Donna worked. One day he asked her to a dance and she was smitten! They married in 1948.

Life continued to present challenges for the young couple. The drought in the 50’s required them to move to Denver for work in 1955. They had 4 young children by this time. Bob worked for Meadow Gold and as a mechanic, and he went back to Arapahoe on weekends to farm.  By 1960 they were able to move back to the farm.

Donna was used to sacrificing and remained a pillar of strength for her family.  She nurtured her children and was a devoted partner to Bob in his endeavors to grown their farm and cattle operation.   Education was important to both her and Bob and they encouraged and supported their four children to achieve college educations;  always wanting them to have better options and easier lives.

Donna was preceded in death by her beloved Bob in 1992, a grandson, Matthew Campbell in 2023, her parents and eight siblings. She is survived by one sister, Norma Stone of Topeka, KS; her four children, Dennis (Roxie) Campbell of Buena Vista, Diane Warren of Sebastopol, CA, Vicki (John) Ferris of Riverton, WY and Teresa (Doug) Miller of Horseshoe Bay, TX; four grandchildren, Maggie Byers, Abbie Koenig, Erica Warren and Craig Warren; eight great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews.

Her legacy of love, resilience and dedication to family will live on in the hearts of those who knew and loved her to the end.

Services will be held Friday, August 8th at 10:00 a.m. at the Arapahoe Community Church.   Burial will follow in the Arapahoe Cemetery in Arapahoe, CO with a reception and meal at the church to follow.   Memorials can be made to the Donna Campbell Memorial at the Eastern Colorado Bank.